


Best Intentions

by PJ1228



Category: Forever Knight
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-02-27 10:51:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13246671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PJ1228/pseuds/PJ1228
Summary: To show his gratitude for saving his life, Schanke intends to do something special for Nick – with unforeseen consequences.





	Best Intentions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wendymypooh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wendymypooh/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Forever Knight and its characters were created by Barney Cohen and James D. Parriott and are copyright to Sony/Tristar. None of the characters in this story belongs to me. I'm just borrowing them temporarily. No infringement intended. No profit is being made. 
> 
> **Acknowledgements:** Special thanks go to dlyt for beta-reading and suggestions.
> 
>  **Written for** WendyMyPooh on behalf of Fandom Stocking 2017/2018
> 
>  **Timeline:** Late season 1

**Best Intentions**  
By PJ  
January 2018

Schanke watched as the green Cadillac disappeared around the corner. When he was sure that Nick was on his way to work, Schanke stopped his car in front of the warehouse, walked up to the door and punched in the access code. He was on a special mission.

Nick had saved his butt again a couple of weeks ago and he had decided to do something for Nick in return. He wracked his brain for quite a while until Myra gave him the perfect idea.

Ever since he had walked in on Nick showing Nat one of his oil paintings, Schanke had taken a special interest in the artwork Nick had gathered in the loft. He was fairly convinced his partner had talent.

"Have you ever had an exhibit?" he had asked a while ago.

Nick had regarded him with a slightly confused look. "Not recently. Why?"

"I think that stuff is really good. Maybe you could make a fortune and become famous."

"I don't think so, Schank," Nick had quickly declined and changed the topic.

Last week Myra had mentioned that her cousin's new boyfriend Tim worked at the Art Gallery. Schanke had immediately made an appointment and asked if he would be willing to assess the quality of some artwork. A professional opinion should convince his partner of his talent. Maybe they would even arrange for an exhibit. Now all he needed was one of Nick's paintings. 

Schanke pushed the lift door aside and stepped into the dark loft. After turning the lights on, he looked around. For a bachelor Nick had an immaculate kitchen. Only one used wine glass stood in the sink. Schanke scratched his head. "I hope he didn't drink it before going to work," he said to himself.

He walked farther into the loft and spotted several canvasses stored under the stairs. Choosing one from the back so that Nick would not notice its absence, he recognized it as one of the suns. Obviously one of Nick's favourite motifs as he had seen similar ones scattered around the loft. 

Satisfied that this would do, Schanke turned off the lights and left. He stored the canvas in his trunk and drove to work.

* * * *

On the following day Schanke delivered the canvas to the gallery as soon as it opened at 10 a.m. However, Tim was engaged in giving a tour to a group of school children, so he asked Schanke to leave the painting in his office and come back in the evening, one hour before closing.

When Schanke returned at the appointed time, Tim regarded him with a funny look on his face. "So you tell me a cop painted this?"

Schanke nodded enthusiastically. "My partner."

"You're joking, right?"

Now Schanke was beginning to get angry. "Why? Is it so unbelievable that policemen have the skills to paint?"

"I'm not doubting the abilities of the police, Don. You see, unless your partner is 200 years old, he cannot have painted this."

"What?!"

"I've performed a close examination. The material of the canvas and the oils used date back to the late 18th century."

"But that's Nick's signature there," Schanke pointed at the lower right corner where the letter N in Nick's fluent script was visible.

"I'm sorry, Don. Unless this is a very good forgery, I have no explanation."

"Forgery? You mean Nick purposely tried to make the painting look old? No, that's out of the question."

"It wouldn't be the first time a cop gets something on the side."

"Not Nick! He would never do anything that's outside the law. You've been watching too many movies, Tim. I'm sure there's a rational explanation." Schanke retrieved the canvas and left.

* * * *

"Earth to Schanke, earth to Schanke," Nick's teasing voice brought him back to the present.

"Huh?"

"Are you going to sign that report or do you want to wait until the statute of limitations expires?"

"Very funny," Schanke put his signature next to Nick's and placed the report in the out box. The initial N in Nick's signature had caused his mind to wander. It was exactly the same as on the canvas.

"Nick? Have you ever done anything that's against the law?"

Nick's face turned to stone, which was not the reaction Schanke had expected. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. I mean, everybody's got a parking or speeding ticket now and then."

Nick relaxed slowly. "It's my job to uphold the law, Schanke, not break it. Check my file." He rose from his seat and walked away, effectively ending the conversation.

Schanke had the distinct feeling that his partner was withholding information and that gave him the creeps. What if Tim was right and Nick did forge old oil paintings?

He didn't want to believe it, but the evidence was rather solid. How else to explain Nick's signature on an apparently 200 year-old painting? He decided to hear Natalie's opinion. She knew Nick better than anyone else.

It was already dawn when he arrived at the morgue. When he was told that Natalie had already left he took a detour and drove to her apartment. However, upon discovering the Caddy parked out front, he changed his mind. "Just friends, eh?" If Nick spent the day here, that gave him the perfect opportunity to return the painting to the loft unobserved. Due to his sun allergy, Nick would not be able to return during the day.

* * * *

Schanke pushed the elevator door aside, turned on the lights and carried the canvas over to the stairs, where he returned it to the same spot from which he had retrieved it. As he turned around, he froze, finding his way barred by Nick.

Recovering, Schanke took in Nick's appearance with tousled hair and black pyjamas. "Jeeez, Nick, you startled me! Do you want to give me a heart attack?"

"When you enter my home, shouldn't you expect my presence here?" Nick returned without moving out of the way.

"Not when it's daylight. I saw your car at Nat's place. How did you get here?"

"The more relevant question is, why are you visiting my place when you assumed I wasn't here?"

Schanke was getting nervous under Nick's unwavering stare. It was the same stare Nick used to get even the hardest criminals talking. Schanke found he could not resist, either. "Okay, if you must know, I had a surprise planned for you."

"A surprise?"

"I wanted to get an expert opinion on your art work."

"Why?"

"Because I think it's really good and shouldn't be hidden under your stairs."

Now Nick's stare had turned into a puzzled look. "I have no need for an expert opinion, Schanke."

"Because they're forgeries?" Schanke challenged. "Tim said the material is 200 years old. So you cannot have painted them. Do you have another rational explanation than forgery?"

"Oh."

Schanke had expected a more solid line of defense. "Is that all you're going to say? Just oh?"

"Who else has seen the painting?" Nick demanded.

"Tim is the curator of the AGO. He said he performed an analysis. I don't know who else has seen it. So is it a forgery?"

"No, it's not," Nick said softly.

"But it was painted 200 years ago."

"1789, to be precise. Look at me, Schanke."

While Schanke still tried to comprehend what Nick was telling him, he felt drawn to look into Nick's eyes. The sudden hammering sound in his head made him slightly dizzy and he felt overwhelmingly tired.

* * * *

"Nick?" Natalie's cheery voice woke Schanke from a deep slumber. "I brought your car over. You know, my neighbors are starting to talk when you fly off before dawn and leave the car out front. They think you spent the day at my place."

"Nat, I have a visitor," he heard Nick's hushed voice. "I just made him forget."

"He found out? How?"

"I don't think he figured everything out. Just that my age isn't what it seems."

"How did he take it?"

"I didn't wait to find out."

"So you put him to sleep?"

"He's awake now, probably trying to remember what he was supposed to forget. The change in his heart rate betrays him."

With growing unease Schanke gave up pretending to be asleep. He sat up on the couch and stared at Nick and Natalie who were seated at the kitchen table. "What are you two talking about? Natalie, what do you mean, he flew off?"

"Oh, you know, he wanted to be home before dawn, so he left in a hurry. And then the caddy wouldn't start, so he took a cab."

Schanke had enough experience as a detective to know when someone fabricated a story. And Natalie's response sounded exactly like that. "But you said you drove it over. So it's working again?"

"It just needed a softer touch," Natalie stammered, looking at Nick for help.

"Don't bother, he's not buying it, Nat," Nick said and walked over to the couch.

"That's right. I'm not," Schanke confirmed, growing more suspicious that he was missing something important. "And what's with your age?"

"There's nothing wrong with my age," Nick said in a soothing tone as he sat down next to Schanke. "Look at me."

Schanke found it irresistible not to look into Nick's eyes. As soon as he made contact, his mind became foggy and he felt himself unable to focus his thoughts.

* * * *

Schanke woke with a start. Looking around he realized that he was at the loft, lying on the couch.

"Hey, sleepy-head, I was getting worried that I might have to work without you tonight," Nick's voice laced with humour caught his attention. His partner came into view, already dressed for work.

With a yawn Schanke sat up. "Thanks for letting me crash here. I don't know why I was so tired all of a sudden."

"Maybe you got decaf instead of regular," Nick shrugged, handing him a mug of fresh coffee.

"Probably. Thanks." He sipped from the coffee. "You don't serve breakfast, I suppose."

"I've run out of everything. You can grab something on the way to the station."

"I should give Myra a jingle. She's probably worried."

Nick handed him the phone. "I called her when it was obvious that you weren't making it home. She wants you to fetch a pound of potatoes from the market this morning."

A short time later they rode down in the lift. 

"I'll meet you at the station," Nick announced. "There's an errand I need to run first."

Schanke waved at him as he started the car. It was good to have a partner he could rely on personally and professionally.

FIN

**Author's Note:**

> This story contains references to the following episodes:  
> ̶- _Feeding the Beast_


End file.
